Food Sovereignty & Sustainability
Food sovereignty and sustainability has always been a part of BRIDGE’s programming!
in 2024 we celebrate our fourth season of Solidarity Farm and Garden at Great Barrington Fairgrounds now occupying 1.5 acres dedicated to food security and food sovereignty growing culturally specific foods and developing a BIPOC presence in the agricultural local landscape. Supported by Local Food Purchasing Grant in partnership with World Farmers, our Solidarity Growers can develop a produce business and sell to the local market including our mutual aid program.
In 2024, we send 200 shares out to families in financial crisis and/or large families vulnerable to access all social determinants of healthy families and community. Alternating weeks, 100 larger or families of high need receive the food on the B week.
Starting 14 years ago, BRIDGE has had a long-term partnership with Gideons Garden (stewarded by Grace Episcopal Church at Taft Farms) for our Happiness Toolbox summer programming for youth. Over the years, Happiness Toolbox youth participants have participated in a summer Seed to Harvest planting ceremonies in the Spring and harvesting for their families, and visiting the farm. Taft Farms with Gideons Garden have also provided healthy snacks for Happiness Toolbox for a decade along with their harvests.
Our Women to Women participants and their children enjoy nutritious meals twice a month for 10+ years uninterrupted.
Woven Roots over the years joined us for several events providing nutritious food and in 2020 BRIDGE has expanded its partnership with Woven Roots to purchase shares, seedlings, and seeds! And Greenagers has donated raised beds.
To learn more about the partnerships, watch the video created by the BRIDGE team below in 2021. This is at the heart of our program!
in 2024 we celebrate our fourth season of Solidarity Farm and Garden at Great Barrington Fairgrounds now occupying 1.5 acres dedicated to food security and food sovereignty growing culturally specific foods and developing a BIPOC presence in the agricultural local landscape. Supported by Local Food Purchasing Grant in partnership with World Farmers, our Solidarity Growers can develop a produce business and sell to the local market including our mutual aid program.
In 2024, we send 200 shares out to families in financial crisis and/or large families vulnerable to access all social determinants of healthy families and community. Alternating weeks, 100 larger or families of high need receive the food on the B week.
Starting 14 years ago, BRIDGE has had a long-term partnership with Gideons Garden (stewarded by Grace Episcopal Church at Taft Farms) for our Happiness Toolbox summer programming for youth. Over the years, Happiness Toolbox youth participants have participated in a summer Seed to Harvest planting ceremonies in the Spring and harvesting for their families, and visiting the farm. Taft Farms with Gideons Garden have also provided healthy snacks for Happiness Toolbox for a decade along with their harvests.
Our Women to Women participants and their children enjoy nutritious meals twice a month for 10+ years uninterrupted.
Woven Roots over the years joined us for several events providing nutritious food and in 2020 BRIDGE has expanded its partnership with Woven Roots to purchase shares, seedlings, and seeds! And Greenagers has donated raised beds.
To learn more about the partnerships, watch the video created by the BRIDGE team below in 2021. This is at the heart of our program!
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Urgent COVID-19 Community Response- 2020
Since the start of the COVID pandemic, BRIDGE has made 15 food deliveries over 20 weeks and counting to 90 families--250+ people throughout the Berkshires--to provide food, hot meals, fresh farm meat, veggies, masks, cleaning and hygiene related supplies, gas, pharmacy items, gift cards and more. BRIDGE has also sourced farm fresh local veggies from Random Harvest, Taft Farms and Woven Roots. We continue to deliver supplies and food every two weeks. Currently, 75% of the families that BRIDGE is serving are located in Southern Berkshire County and 25% are in Pittsfield and North county. 90% are families of color: Black, Asian, Indigenous, immigrant and others living in poverty, providing foster-care and caregiving for individuals with disabilities and elders. All folks we’ve reached were exponentially “vulnerable” at the onset of this pandemic. This work was first made possible by a large donation from private BRIDGE donor at the onset of COVID-19, and supported by Berkshire United Way and Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation’s COVID-19 Relief; the Haymarket People’s Fund; Berkshire Community Action Council; and WILDSEED Community Farm & Healing Village, as well as a flood of BRIDGE donors and volunteers helping to sustain the work. Distribution and door-to-door delivery is supported by volunteers from BRIDGE and our partners at the Mount. Please click here to sign up to volunteer for food delivery distribution or donate to support this program (please write in “COVID-19 community response” in the Paypal form). If you would like more information about receiving support from BRIDGE’s COVID-19 Community Response program, please email us at [email protected]. |
History_ Sustainability & Solidarity Share
The just-launched Sustainability and Solidarity Share is a pilot program with Woven Roots Farm that’s bringing foundational food, farming and gardening education to BRIDGE families-- accompanied by nutrient-dense, vibrant food & starter plants and seeds. Fresh food is a basic human right--we can’t have that without vibrant local farms, resilient skill sharing and ongoing personal education! Working via multiple partnerships and funding from our local and national donors including the Janey Fund, Greenagers, BCAC, BRIDGE has purchased shares, starter plants and seeds from Woven Roots Farm and delivered raised beds in collaboration with Greenagers to 30 families. We also have a raised bed with plants and pots for homes and a community garden located at First Congregational Church in Great Barrington offered by Rev Tara Tezlaff and her congregation. Intentionally, BRIDGE is sourcing from local farms and farm stores healthy food grown that are owned and run by people of color, queer folks and women. BRIDGE is also growing new pathways for food security in our community by offering culturally relevant plants to Black and Latinx families in Berkshires in partnership with Harmony Homestead and Random Harvest. Please click here to donate to support this program (please write in “Sustainability & Solidarity Share” in the Paypal form). Special thanks to: Janey Fund, Random Harvest, Woven Roots, Greenagers and dozens of donors. Listen on Sustainable Economies with Greg Watson: https://www.multiculturalbridge.org/new-pathways-podcast/labs-strategies-for-local-and-sustainable-economies |
Collaborating for sustained, sustainable change 2020-2024
Thank you to our many partners offering time talent and treasure who are working with us and supporting BRIDGE’s Food Sovereignty and Sustainability programming, including:
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Take action for Food Sovereignty & Sustainability
- Donate today! Click here to make a donation and support BRIDGE’s food justice initiatives. Please note on the Paypal form that this donation is for our Food Sovereignty & Sustainability work (please also note COVID-19 community response; farm shares; etc. if you would like)
- Learn more about BRIDGE’s approach to collaborating for food sovereignty and sustainability:
BRIDGE SOlidarity Garden
The BRIDGE Solidarity Garden is located at the Great Barrington Fairgrounds, in partnership with Fair Ground Redevelopment Project.
